The invention relates to a machine which, preceding from work pieces of cardboard or the like, punched and provided with folding notches, folds and fills packages with disc shaped products, especially compact discs or the like, as being presented in the preamble of claim 1 here below. A machine of this type is known through SE-C-508483, and is adapted to raise packages and fill them with disc shaped products, especially compact discs, which packages are of the kind described in the publication WO/97/38919, as well as, in a special form, in the Swedish patent application No. 9900018-1. Many advantages are obtained, with such packages made out of cardboard, compared to presently more usual plastic packages. The known machine is built around two endless, stepwise or continuously feedable endless conveyors, which are arranged to linearly pass stations or carrying out a number of different work operations, and which conveyors meet each other in right angles to assemble casing parts from one of them with slide parts from the other. For this reason the whole apparatus becomes relatively voluminous. Consequently, among other things, it can not be transported without being disassembled, which results in work and waste of time for both disassembly and assembly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for corresponding purposes, which machine is compact enough to be mounted on one single bed, making factory installation and transport as a unit possible, for example for it to be moved around as an entirety, possibly with the exception of a cabinet for electric controls or the like, by means of a standard type fork-lift truck. It can then be delivered factory adjusted with air freight anywhere in the world to, as a rule, be started immediately. Another object is to provide a packaging machine of the stated type, which is fast and reliable. A third object is to provide a packaging machine of the stated type, having, to a greatest possible extent, computer controlled mechanisms instead of mechanical controls and co-operation by means of axles, gear-wheels, cam-wheels etc., throughout.
These and other advantageous objects are met by a machine of the type mentioned to begin with, being constituted as stated in the characterising portion of claim 1. Consequently the first and the second track are, in principle, arranged in the form of jigs mounted in a carousel-like manner, and accordingly each track comprises a rotating axle, having a number of jigs mounted on it, which jigs are provided with holding devices for holding and stepwise completion of the casing parts and slide parts, respectively, the axles of the rotating tables being capable of rotating, preferably step by step, to move their jigs between stations in fixed angular positions. Finished casing parts from the first rotating table are then transported to the second rotating table, where a finished slide part, from a jig in its final position, is inserted into each casing part supplied.
Preferably at least one of the rotating tables is arranged with fixed stations having mutual rotational angular intervals, the number of which per revolution being the same as the respective number of jigs. Suitably one unit is assembled per revolution, and therefore, during operation, the rotating tables revolve at a pace such that they mutually cover the same number of revolutions. However, the two rotating tables do not need to have the same number of jigs.
According to the invention the different work operations for picking, placing, folding etc. are suitably carried out by means of the control of a software in a computer, which accordingly will control electromagnetic and pneumatic or hydraulic manoeuvred devices, stepping motors etc. This provides a possibility to allow large parts of the control to take place with the aid of a computer and software, giving the special advantage of the possibility of keeping track of the amount packed. For example, the software can be executed so that only a certain number of packing operation are allowed until a new code is fed, which code only rightful parties have at their disposal. It is also possible to add a registration from a coded memory or the like, making it possible to withdraw a list with date, time and number of packages having being produced at each special occasion. Consequently, great possibilities are offered to reduce cheating and bootlegging.
As already mentioned, according to the invention there are rotating table tracks each having a number of jigs, intended for completion of casing parts and slide parts respectively, from flat work pieces, the slide parts being provided with discs, which parts subsequently are joined. A distinguishing quality of the casing part jigs is that they have placing areas, as well as U-shaped covers, which can be turned in the jigs, perpendicularly to the direction of rotation, and which can be placed on the placing areas, which covers mainly serves as xe2x80x9clastsxe2x80x9d, in that such a cover is placed on a casing work piece, placed on the placing area, which casing work piece, by means of devices which can be turned, located in the jig, as well as devices in the different stations, is then folded in gradual steps and glued around such a cover, to then finally be pulled off, as from a last used in shoe manufacturing, after which, in a later working operation, the xe2x80x9clastxe2x80x9d is replaced by the filled slide part. A special advantage with this jig system compared to the state of the art, is that the jig, with its clamping devices can hold the slide part in a constant and safe grip during a few station stops and squeeze the glue joints together, which glue joints are present in the casing parts which are stationary in relation to the respective jig, while the glue is adhering (melt glue).
A distinguishing quality of the jigs serving to manufacture the slide parts is that they, having a main part consisting of a placing plate with a rectangular opening, have clamping devices which can be lifted and turned, and by means of which folding and holding can be carried out, and which have vertical control axles which can be lifted and turned, and which are spring loaded downwards towards the placing plate, in the direction of the axle. Preferably these are controlled by means of control devices, arranged at different stations, which control devices are preferably pneumatically activated. The final work operation in the slide part rotating table consists in that the finished and filled slide part is inserted into a finished casing part, transported up to the slide part, after which the finished package is moved out.